


Captured

by Yukito



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Darkest Minds Series - Alexandra Bracken
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-14
Updated: 2019-11-14
Packaged: 2021-01-30 17:56:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21432352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yukito/pseuds/Yukito
Kudos: 7





	Captured

“Percy, wake up.”

The lulling promise of blissful sleep threatened to keep the demigod from waking up, but there was something in the voice - an urgency. He stirred, realizing after a moment he was on cold, hard floor and the voice had sounded like -

“Annabeth?” Percy looked up and he was faced with a dark room. He had been certain he heard Annabeth’s voice, but he realized as his head started to clear that he hadn’t talked to Annabeth in a long time. He hadn’t even been home in his own world for a long time. It left a lot of questions, but right now he had to figure out what happened. The last thing he remembered was going to the art installation with Ruby.

Now he remembered - they had gotten jumped.

He was on his feet immediately and trying to peer through the darkness for Ruby, but a few steps one way and then another revealed he was in some sort of cage with bars and there was no one else inside with him.

“Ruby!”

His voice echoed in the darkness and he hit the bars out of frustration. They clanged in protest, but didn’t budge. Percy couldn’t even feel water to pull at. He exhaled loudly and ran a hand through his hair.

“Ah, you’re awake.” The voice of an older male gentleman sounded in the darkness. In a moment the room illuminated dimly revealing a man sitting in a chair. He seemed to be in army fatigues, but they were non-descript. 

He put up his hand as Percy opened his mouth. “Let me stop you right there. You were taken by me and my men. No, I won’t tell you my name and no, I don’t care who you are, son of Posiedon.” He sat calmly in the chair. “The target was the girl. We just took you because you’re less of a problem if you’re caged too, rather than out looking for her.” 

His crossed leg lowered to the ground and he leaned forward a little. “Interestingly enough, you seemed to have made enough enemies that someone has requested you be an audience. Now normally I don’t buy into that sort of thing, but the price this time was very lucrative. So -” 

He gestured to the darkened wall and in a moment monitors came on. They were bright in comparison to the space they were in. On the screen was a white medical room and in the middle of the screen on her knees in a white hospital down was Ruby. She had wires attached to her head and there were restraints on her wrists. She had IVs in both her arms, too. She swayed on her knees, her eyes half closed as she was in a grimace. 

“What are you doing to her?” Percy didn’t want to look at the screen, but he couldn’t take his eyes off it either. He already had a sneaking suspicion, but the question came out angry anyway.

The man shrugged. “We have to keep her sedated otherwise she’d use her powers on us. She put up quite a fight before we got her under. As for what, that’s the scientists’ job. Seems like there’s a big bounty of Ms. Daly’s head considering what her mind can do…. It would go a lot easier if she just co-operated though.” As if to demonstrate, Ruby on the screen let out a guttural groan and slumped forward a little which made Percy strain against the bars.

Percy turned to the guy. “I don’t care who you are or what you think you know about me, but we’re getting out of this and you’re going to die if you get in my way.”

The man seemed unphased as he stood and did a palms-up gesture. “I look forward to seeing your resolve, Mr. Jackson.” 

A moment later Percy was left alone with the monitors on and all he could do was watch as his girlfriend was forced through tests from people in lab coats. Eventually, the monitors turned off and something was pumped into the room. Something that made Percy pass out again.

\--

“Percy, _get up_.”

The familiar smell of the Poseidon cabin at Camp Half-Blood flooded Percy’s nostrils and with it, confusion. His eyes fluttered open and he turned in his cot to see Annabeth looking down at him grimly. “Annabeth?”

“Get up, seaweed brain. You can’t stay asleep or they’ll win.”

Percy frowned - what? He sat up on his cot, swinging his legs around and rubbing his face. “What are you -”

“You’re not really here. Think. You’re still in Terra.”

Percy’s frown deepened. Terra sounded familiar, but then talking to Annabeth was wrong. He looked up at his girlfriend. Girlfriend? “Annabeth, I don’t -”

She sighed. “You don’t have time for this. I’m a projection of your mind to kick your butt in gear. You need to wake up back over there and get out of that cell or your both going to die.” When Percy didn’t immediately respond, she slapped him and Percy suddenly shot away in the familiar cold darkness of the room with the cage. He rubbed his cheek and began to think.

\--

Ruby’s head was swimming with so many chemicals she wasn’t sure what time or day it was. She felt like she’d been awake for weeks, but she couldn’t be certain. She was well aware there were people watching her and they were doing something in her head. The only warning she’d get was a sudden sharp pain and then she’d be forced to relieve images from back home - Thurmond, East River, The League. It was like they were searching for information. That, or they were gathering intel. Her body wanted to fall forward, but the way they had her, she could only manage to slump - not that they let her sleep much at all. She vaguely remembered that Percy had been with her at some point - was he okay? Every time she tried to reach out for his mind, there’d be a new burst of white pain in her eyes and she’d cry out.

\--

Percy sat in the cage still for over two hours - his teachers in school would be shocked by it. He was concentrating. While it seemed like whoever captured them had made sure to take away his access to water, Percy knew that water was everywhere. As he concentrated, he could feel the small trace amounts in the wall and underground and even though it was a lot of work, and really slow going, he was gathering it. He didn’t care how long it took, but he was going to gather enough to make this place regret taking them.

When a soldier came in to throw a poorly made bologna sandwich at Percy, the soldier found himself swept up suddenly with what that hadn’t been on the floor a moment ago. The soldier hit the bars hard and Percy pulled the guy to him. In a few short moments Percy knocked out the guard and was out of the cage. The only thing he had to do was find Ruby now.

\--

“She passed out.”

“Of course she has, it’s been three days. She needs rest.”

“We don’t have time.”

“Well then give me the adrenaline to wake her up.”

Ruby awoke with a start, thrashing and screaming. It took her a long time to register that she wasn’t in cuffs and there weren’t needles in her arms, but she was still in a hospital gown and she was still in the white room. Percy’s arms were around her and his expression was dark, tired, and grim. “Shh. Shh, baby, it’s okay.”

Ruby whimpered and then started to shudder violently in his arms. Percy held tightly. He knew they needed to go, but he wasn’t even sure it was safe for her to leave the room. After a moment, Ruby’s body slowed, but she was crying. Her voice was hoarse when she spoke. “Percy… you need to go.”

“Not without you, Ruby.”

“I’m - you have to. I’m d-dangerous.”

“I don’t care.” Percy leaned in to kiss her sweaty forehead.

“_She’s right_” The annoyingly familiar sound of the older gentleman ran through the speakers of the room. 

“Shut up!” Percy shouted in no particular direction.

“_She’s been made into a weapon, Mr. Jackson. Or did you not question why the scientist in the room are all dead when you arrived._”

The three scientists had been dead when he got there, but Percy’s concern had been on Ruby and only Ruby. He hadn’t stopped to think of the ‘how’ only to thank the gods that they weren’t in the way still.

“Please…” Ruby whimpered. “I.. don’t want to hurt you.”

“You’re not going to.” Percy insisted.

“I am.” Ruby sobbed softly. “I’m holding back right now, but I can feel it. I want to lash out. I can’t…whatever they did to me. I…” She closed her eyes and groaned through a wave of pain as she bit her tongue to keep from hurting Percy.

Percy’s eyes were watering. “We just need to get Magnus. Or Dr. McCoy. Or Bruce.” 

Ruby feebly shook her head. It was too late for any of that. She lashed out her arm clumsily until she grabbed something sharp - one of the needles that had been in her arm. She shakily brought it up to her throat and grabbed Percy to take a grip of the needle too. Ruby managed to open her eyes and looked at him with an apologetic, but loving expression. “Please.”

He couldn’t. He wouldn’t.

“_Percy_” Annabeth’s voice. It felt almost like there was a third hand on the needle now. 

“Please.” Ruby tried again, tears escaping the side of her eyes.

There was a pause when the world seemed to slow to a stand still. Percy’s heart ripped from his chest. With his eyes on Ruby, he whispered that he loved her as he went in to kiss her on the lips. At the same time, helped by Ruby herself, the needle slid into the side of her neck and in another moment, Ruby went limp in his arms.


End file.
